Before the lockdown, a theatre group Kahaani Sunoge? would get on stage frequently with a collection of short stories. These rehearsed readings had gained popularity and helped build the foundation for the new troupe. However, once theatres shut their doors, Rakesh Chaturvedi Om, its founder, began looking for other avenues. The virtual medium was their only bet but Chaturvedi Om was certain stage techniques needed to be adapted.

"Attention spans on the Internet are different, and to perform full-length stories here is not possible. So, we decided to do condensed versions of stories that we select," he says. It was back in April that they started with readings from Saadat Hasan Manto's Siyah Hashiye that features short pieces of satire. "It means black borders and refers to news of grief published in newspapers at the time of Partition," he explains.